Life is a story. There are good parts & there are bad, there are happy chapters & there are sad. Sometimes you hold your breath when the plot thickens and sometimes you sigh when there are long gaps in-between. Every day is like turning the next page, there is the anticipation that this could be the best part. Everyone has a story. This is mine.

Lilypie First Birthday tickers

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Last night we celebrated my brother-in-law, Lee's, birthday. His party had a Halloween theme and so everyone came in costume. It was definitely a night to remember. Here are a few pictures:

Jesse was a suave Count Dracula and Len was his elegant vampire queen (complete with fluttering false eyelashes!). Jeremy was the Blue Power Ranger and Faye was our very own version of a dainty Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

Jay and Cha came as a socket and a wall outlet (now isn't this an ingenious costume???).

Roy was a cross between a scary monk and a dark Sith lord. Marik was a crazy-looking hunchback. Meredith was a knockout Hannah Montana complete with a rocking hairstyle. And Maddie was a pretty Snow White (just look at that face!).

Jojo and I came as mimes! Actually we were twin mimes (which I insisted was a double costume!). We tried to act like mimes and not talk at all - I lasted about 10 seconds! Jojo did a little better =)

Lee (the birthday celebrant) was a priest exorcising a demon (that landed on his head!). Edel was a hot vampire. Jorel was a sinister crypt keeper. Elroy was a ghoulish skeleton (his costume was 3-D!). And look at MJ, our very own adorable Alice in Wonderland!

Jojo was Speed Racer with a hairy chest. Tracy was a dark sorceress with scary eyes (really scary eyes!). Sydney was a beautiful Snow White (complete with dainty shoes!). And Dani was a roly-poly pumpkin! She is just too cute for words =)

One more shot of the Disney Princess Club - aren't my nieces just adorable? Each one of them is a beauty in their own special way. I absolutely love these girls!

The evening ended with a secret ballot where we voted for "best-adult-in-costume" and "best-kid-in-costume". Cash prizes went to Jesse (as Count Dracula) and Meredith (as Hannah Montana). Yay!

Thanks to Lee and Edel for hosting such a great evening =)

Our last name may be "Ordinario" but there's nothing ordinary about how we party! =)

Monday, October 26, 2009

If you had a choice, would you rather be called a classic or trendy dresser? I have always been a classic at heart - I love clothes, shoes, bags and accessories that are not only practical, functional and flattering but also stand the test of time. There are a few pieces in my closet that can be considered "trendy" but they are mostly impulse buys or the result of peer pressure. =)

I was having a conversation with Les and Joce recently about the essential items a woman should have in her closet to adhere to the "classic look". Here is the list of those items. (P.S. the list is a mix from various sources - Tim Gunn and the editor of Marie Claire magazine for starters - most of them have almost the same items on their lists!).10 "Classic" Items every woman should have in her closet:1. Basic Black Dress - Also known as the "Little Black Dress". Basically it's a dress that can take you to cocktails with friends all the way to a formal sit-down dinner on short notice.2. Trench Coat - A good trench coat should fit well and should make the user look smart instead of dowdy. It is great for fall and you can pick it up in a wide range of lengths. Basic colors would be camel, khaki, dark gray or black.3. Dress Pants - Although not necessarily black, this is probably what you want to look for. Black is flattering on all figures, can be used for all occasions, and goes well with everything.4. Classic Button-down Shirt - The white shirt is a definite classic. But it can also come in many different styles to make it look trendy and not dated or like a man's piece of clothing. Find one that accentuates your best attributes and minimizes trouble spots. 5. Jeans - Everyone has a pair of jeans, but does everyone have a pair of jeans that make them look great? 6. Fresh new (round-neck or v-neck) T-shirts in black and white – These can be worn almost everywhere and for almost every occasion when matched with the right accessories.7. Skirt - If you need dress pants then you also need a skirt. A skirt is womanly and can be flirty or businesslike. 8. A-line Sheath Day Dress - They can be very flattering, and there is nothing wrong with "dressing up" for daytime.9. Blazer - A jacket does not have to be masculine. Find one with a proper, fitted shape. Women's jackets should follow the silhouette of a woman's body and accent the hourglass curve at her waist. It is also a perfect piece to put with the skirt or dress pants, and white shirt. Or make it casual with a pair of jeans.10. Cashmere Sweaters - A bit of a splurge item, a cashmere sweater is nevertheless a great investment. They are comfortable and always in style and, like everything else on the list, can be paired with anything to be dressed up or down for any occasion.10 "Classic" Shoes and Accessories:1. Ballet Flats – Perfect for pairing with jeans, slacks and a skirt.2. A good pair of pumps – One that is versatile enough to go from day to evening wear.3. Sandals that make you feel sexy when you wear them.4. Strand of white pearls – a classic piece of jewelry that makes an understated statement.5. Diamond Stud Earrings6. Silk Scarves7. A good push-up bra8. Perfume – your signature scent.9. Sunglasses that accentuate your face.10. Classic Handbag that goes well with any outfit and works for any occasion.

I am trying to build my wardrobe around these (the good thing is I can take my time and shop around for quality pieces without fear of them going out of style!).

Sunday, October 25, 2009

I've finally entered the 21st century and am on Facebook. A lot of my friends and family have been telling me to join but I've been quite slow to get on the bandwagon! Les, Joce and Jojo have finally talked me into entering the world of social networking. I created my page yesterday (with Jojo's help) and was pleasantly surprised this morning to have made several connections already.

I am a firm believer that the world is a small place and that it is impossible for any one to be completely cut off from everyone else. I also believe in six degrees of separation wherein anyone can somehow be connected to the people in their part of the world through people they are related to, have dated, are friends with, went to school with, have worked with, have hung out with, or just plain know. Browsing through Facebook just confirms all this! It's actually quite amazing =)

Saturday, October 24, 2009

My friends Les and Joce were with us (on and off) for the last 2 weeks. They left for Manila last night. That makes me sad =( To cheer myself up I have posted some highlights of their stay:

Here we are walking along Rodeo Drive feeling like "Pretty Woman"! I had dubbed our trio as the "F" girls - (after the F girls, a trio of TV show hosts back in Manila). Only Joce didn't like that thought! Wonder why??? =)

The three of us across Old Town San Diego's Immaculate Conception church (we were paying homage to our alma matter!). Just a little bit of side trivia here: Les, Joce and I were classmates - I met Les in kindergarten, and we met Joce a year later in prep. So I have known both these ladies for almost 30 years! Now this is what I call true girlfriends! =)

Dinner at the Grand Luxe Cafe with Ed right before we watched Jersey Boys. The dinner was good but nothing compared to the show (which you all know by now, I absolutely loved!).

Jojo treated us to a steamed crab dinner at Redondo Beach. We donned our bibs, held on to our mallets and rolled up our sleeves! One of my favorite places for fresh seafood.

Shopping at The Grove and lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. It was Joce's first time there and we were excited to see her reaction to their mouthwatering cheesecakes! BTW, she loved it!

Two places where we literally "lined up for our food" - Pink's hotdogs in Hollywood (where this picture was taken) and Sprinkles cupcakes in Beverly Hills. I have to say those hotdogs and cupcakes were worth the over half hour wait!

Dinner with Atsi and Mark at BCD Tofu House. This is one of our favorite restaurants. Anyone who comes to visit us gets taken to dinner at this place. And everyone that has tried this place, loves it instantly! Joce and Les are two more people we can add to that list!

Walking along the Vegas strip. I think October is the best month to visit Vegas. It's neither too cold nor too hot. And of course, it's always great to visit with Vegas when you're with your friends =)

Joce, Les and I walking along Hollywood. This is a great place to sightsee and go shopping. This is also where Les and Joce were accosted by a sleazy looking Elvis impersonator! I swear that you run into all sorts of characters in Hollyweird!

Lunch at Muriel and Mark's charming home. I love how they fixed up their place =) Muriel made us home-cooked Pinoy food (kare-kare and rellenong bangus). And for dessert, Ed brought us another "Pinoy" favorite: Dunkin Donuts!

Dinner at Lucille's Barbecue at the Del Amo mall with Mark and Gus. Both guys were really entertaining to hang out with! As usual, dinner at Lucille's was really good (they have fabulous baby back and St. Louis ribs!).

In case your eyes are playing tricks on you ... this is not another picture of Les, me and Joce (wow! what a super compliment for Joce if you did think that!) ... it's actually Les, me and Kim Kardashian. We ran into her at the Santa Monica Third Street Promenade parking garage (of all places). She was really gracious and friendly. Take note this picture was taken by one of the many photographers following her. So for a split nanosecond, Les and I got a taste of what it feels like to be photographed by the paparazzi!

Thanks for spending your vacation with us, Les and Joce! I had a great time with you guys and I hope you enjoyed your stay with us too. Now I am going to start planning our upcoming Alaskan cruise for next year - will send you the details when I get them from my travel agent =)

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Jojo left for work while Les and Joce are spending the day at Universal Studios with Gus and Mark (friends from Manila). Since I am scheduled to do volunteer work this afternoon, I opted to stay home this morning and get stuff organized here at home. There are a lot of things to do at home – we have not done any cleaning in the last two weeks, there is a bunch of mail that needs to be sorted, there is laundry to be done, I have errands to run, and there are things that need to be packed in the balikbayan box. But instead of all that, I have decided to spend my morning browsing through several of my favorite food blogs!

I thought I would amuse myself (and waste more time) answering a food questionnaire I came across in one of the blogs I frequent. Since many say, you are what you eat, this questionnaire (which is all about food preferences) will give you a lot of insight about who I am! For those with blogs out there – feel free to answer the same questionnaire – and if you don’t have a blog, you can email me your answers or post them on my comments list (if you like)!

1. Favorite Comfort Food: (My all-time favorite!) Garlic rice, fried eggs, crispy tuyo, chopped tomatoes and salted eggs!2. Favorite Junkfood: Jack n Jill barbecue flavored Chippy and V-cut (I would take these local favorites over Ruffles and Lays any time.)3. Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Anything with dark chocolate4. Favorite Canned Good: Purefoods corned beef (American brands don’t even come close!)5. Favorite Dessert: Cheesecake, lemon squares, gelato and red velvet cake (who said I had to pick just one?!)6. Food that you just can’t get enough of: Chicken Inasal - it’s frustrating because there is none available here (even in predominantly Pinoy cities like Carson, Covina, Daly and Cerritos!).7. Favorite Ethnic Cuisine: Indian food 8. Favorite thing to cook: I like making sinigang because it’s Jojo’s favorite. And if I were having guests over (depending on who's coming to dinner) I would probably make pasta - either shrimp scampi or chicken pesto. I also like making roast pork loin with red potatoes for more special occasions. 9. Favorite Meal of the day: Dinner (it’s when everyone can sit down and enjoy the meal and the company).10. Favorite Cocktail: I don't really drink alcohol so I'm going to have to say ... Diet coke (Honestly, can you think of any food that does not go well with coke??? My friends and I were just talking about this the other night). 11. Food that you enjoy in private: I’m pretty open about what I eat ... but if I had to pick, it would probably be the spareribs rice meal from Le Ching (in Shoppesville) – we usually have food from there "to go" and eat them at home. Anyone who has been there will know why! =) 12. Favorite dish your mom/lola makes: My mom’s fresh Chinese lumpia with the works!13. Restaurant dish you have actually made at home: I can come up with a pretty close version of The Cheesecake Factory's Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya.14. Most memorable meal: There are several and it’s probably not so much the food but the meal itself. Here are a couple off the top of my head: a. Our wedding reception: We had a winter wedding so our menu consisted of a warm spinach salad with candied walnuts, cranberries and a light raspberry vinaigrette, followed by a tureen of French onion soup topped with melted Gruyere cheese, this was followed by a light citrus sorbet, next was steamed lobster with pureed butter, and a thick cut of prime rib with au jus and creamy horseradish with a side of baby potatoes and buttered vegetables, lastly a decadent chocolate mousse with dark chocolate sauce and fresh berries. I super loved that meal! b. Also, Xmas dinner 2008 with dad. Mom made everyone's favorite chili crabs, extra garlicky tenderloin tips, (her super yummy!) Caesar salad, spicy gambas, stir-fried asparagus, and garlic rice. We could not stop eating that night! c. First meal I ever made myself. I served it to my Berkeley friends (Ilkben, Marco and Giacommo) who were over for a study group. It was my mom's recipe for Chinese-style adobo made with rice wine and honey. My friends gave me such awesome compliments that I was inspired to continue cooking! d. Crystal Jade Peking Duck Lunch with Les, Jogs and Chow. We were in high school and for some reason we wanted to live it up – we over-ordered some pretty expensive stuff and didn’t have enough money to pay for the meal. Everyone had to cough up whatever cash they had. All I had was money my mom gave me to buy a pair of black school shoes and I had to give that up! I was worried about my mom finding out so I ended up using my old pair of shoes for the first few weeks of school. (Mom, if you are reading this just remember this was a LOOONG time ago!). Looking back, it was a delicious meal and even if it did cost me shoes, I still don’t regret it =)15. Do you “eat to live” or “live to eat”: In case it is not blatantly obvious … I am definitely a LIVE TO EAT person. All my best memories and happiest times revolve around a good meal! And that is something I hope never changes =)

Okay, enough talk about food … I am seriously hungry and have to go get ready for work.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Fall is finally here! You can feel the cool temperatures and the crispness in the air. You can smell wonderful Autumn scents like apple pie, cinnamon, pumpkin spice and gingersnap wherever you go. You can see the gorgeous changing foliage (maybe not as drastic here in California as compared to New England ... but it does happen!). And you notice that the days are more overcast and the breezes much balmier.

Unlike most people who prefer Spring or Summer, Fall is my absolute favorite of all the four seasons! I like Fall because it brings an end to scorching and dry summer weather. It means shorter days, cooler weather, and more time to enjoy indoors. For me, it means going trick or treating, celebrating Thanksgiving and the start of holiday festivities. Fall means enjoying the company of friends and family gathered round the table. It means hearty soups and stews, savory roasts and casseroles, and baked desserts that stick to your ribs. Best of all, Fall means bringing out our winter clothes from storage and bundling up in warm, woolly coats and comforters.

To celebrate the start of the season, I spent some time looking at new Fall outerwear. I honestly don't need a new coat but I figure it can't hurt to look! Here are some styles that I have always liked:

If I were tall and thin enough, I would get this Burberry double-breasted trench coat. I think this looks so classic and put-together.

Same reasons apply as to why I can't get away with wearing a pea coat (like this one from DKNY).

I am fascinated with toggle coats. Came close to buying this Banana Republic coat once but was afraid I couldn't carry the look and may end up looking like an Eskimo! (Joybee, do you remember this coat and how many times I tried it on!?).

I think tweed coats are so smart looking (maybe it's because tweed coats were made famous by Sherlock Holmes!). I like the brown/tan shades (like this coat from Marc Jacobs) more than the black/white ones.

And when you already have all the basic coat colors (black, gray, camel, navy, red and off-white), then it's time to invest in a few other colors. Like this dusty old rose day coat from J Crew.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Yesterday was our annual dental check-up. As part of the procedure, I got a full oral x-ray which led to Dr. Sadri noting that I needed some dental work. Hardly surprising in my case since every time I go in for my annual check-up, there is always something that needs to be done! Is it just me or is this true for everyone else out there???

Anyway, in my case, there are several issues that need to be addressed. I have two small cavities that need filling, a crown that needs to be replaced and a wisdom tooth that needs extracting. None of them are urgent (and by that I mean, none of them are giving me any discomfort or pain). But Dr. Sadri advises that if I am planning to get pregnant soon then I need to get these treatments done before then. Partly because when I become pregnant, most of my body's calcium will go to the baby. That plus hormonal changes can lead to more dental problems. Not only that, there are several procedures that they do not suggest doing while a patient is pregnant since the anesthesia and the trauma are not advisable for a mom-to-be and for the baby too.

So, after thinking about it and discussing it with my sister-in-law (who is also a dentist), I have opted to go in for a series of treatments to get all these taken care of. This means several dental visits - lots of time on the dentist chair, hours of discomfort (hopefully not too much pain!) and more bills to pay (yes, the costs are pretty high up there even with dental insurance!). Whew! I'm not even a mother yet and I am already making such huge sacrifices for my child! Our "future" baby better appreciate this! =)

Thursday, October 15, 2009

I spent last weekend in Las Vegas with Les, Joce and Jojo. One of the things I enjoyed most was watching … no, not just watching … but actually experiencing the Broadway musical “Jersey Boys” at the Palazzo Hotel. Although I was fighting a cold, was feeling tired, was quite sleepy before the show (since we watched the last show of the evening), and we had seats that were almost at the end of the mezzanine section, nothing could dampen my enthusiasm for the show. It was a really AMAZING theater experience! The show was over 2 hours long but I felt the whole performance just flew by.

Jersey Boys is about the 60’s group, The Four Seasons. It is a story of a group of New Jersey blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks, their lives and their struggles, their almost meteoric rise to fame, and how they became one of the biggest American pop music sensations in history. The group wrote their own songs, had their own unique blend of sound, choreographed their own moves, and sold 175 million records around the world. For the younger generation, the group (Four Seasons) may not exactly ring a bell as much as other 60’s music icons like The Beatles or Elvis Presley. But trust me when you hear some of their songs you will know exactly who they are! Songs that have stood the test of time - such as “Sherry," “Walk Like a Man”, "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," "Oh, What a Night" and more.

What I loved most about the play was the energy the cast brought to the stage. The whole experience made you feel like you were part of the show and not a distant by-stander. I guess that’s why I love theater – and good theater productions - because I always feel involved in the story and not just part of the audience. The musical performances were flawless. The actors were terrific at bringing iconic characters to life and even better at capturing the harmonizing tones that is truly a trademark of The Four Seasons. Aside from the actors, kudos also to the show’s writers, musical score director, and backstage crew. Their work transported the audience back and forth between emotional highs. There were instances where we laughed at funny lines, cried at sad scenes, empathized with emotions the characters portrayed or simply tapped our feet and clapped our hands to the catchy doo-wop music.

I also loved the intimate feel of the theater at the Palazzo. Seating about 2,000 people, it was large enough without being cavernous and intimate enough without being claustrophobic. I have watched many productions in a variety of theaters and can honestly say that the right theater atmosphere can literally make or break a show. The Palazzo did it right (comfortable seats, ample legroom, great view of the stage from every seat, the right temperature, and enough ushers to make sure the show started on time). I guess my only complaint would be the 8-minute intermission (timed on screen and without the customary dinging bell that signals the show is about to start). It was too-short a break to really do anything other than stretch your legs. For some that ventured to the lobby restrooms it meant a mad scramble to their seats in a darkened theater with the play underway.

Other than that, as the song says, “Oh What a Night” it truly was. And needless to say (but I’ll say it anyway), if you should have the chance to watch a production of Jersey Boys, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. Just be warned that their songs play in your head (over and over!) even days after you leave the theater!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

It's been over a week since my last entry and I have a perfectly good explanation for neglecting my blog ... I've been quite busy taking Les and Joce around and showing them the sights and sounds of LA. It's been a VERY FULL last few days. Here is a sample of what we've been up to:

After spending the weekend in San Diego:Monday: Lunch at Pink's in Hollywood. Window-shopped along Rodeo Drive. Toured Beverly Hills. Had Sprinkles cupcakes. Dinner at Tofu House with Atsi and Mark.

Tuesday: Atsi, Mark and I spent the morning at the Philippine Consulate. Then Les, Joce and I lunched at Panda Express. Shopped at the Citadel Outlets. Had steamed crabs for dinner at Redondo Beach.

Thursday: Drove to LA Chinatown and had dimsum at Empress Pavilion for lunch. Walked around the Santa Monica Pier. Shopped at the Third Street Promenade. Took out submarine sandwiches for dinner.

Friday: Drove to Las Vegas. Stopped at both the Barstow and Primm outlets on the way. Dinner at the Mad Greek Cafe and then later met up with a long-time-no-see friend (Ed Lim) for tea.

Saturday: Brunch at the Carnival Buffet at the Rio Hotel. Shopped at the Las Vegas Premium outlets. Dinner at Grand Luxe cafe. Watched Jersey Boys at the Palazzo. Tried our hand at the slots before turning in for the night.

Sunday: Lunch at my friends' Muriel and Carl's place. Stopped at Fry's and Town Center with Ed. Long drive back to LA.

Monday: Lunch at Jerry's Deli and an afternoon of shopping at the Del Amo malls. Late dinner at PF Changs.

Tuesday (today): dropped off Joce and Les at LAX (they are flying to NY for the next 5 days and will be back here this Sunday).

While I've enjoyed having my friends over, it has been pretty exhausting too. I'm glad to have today all to myself. What's even better is the weather today is ABSOLUTELY perfect. (Well, perfect for me since I don't think too many people enjoy rainy days). Since LA is sunny almost 99% of the year ... I truly cherish days like today. It's not only cloudy and cold but continously raining too! And I don't mean a slight drizzle ... but actual RAIN. I love it! After running a few errands this morning, did my time at the gym, I am now back home with a whole afternoon ahead, just for me, free to do anything I want!

After eating out almost every single day ... I am actually craving some home-cooked comfort food. For lunch I had pizza on toast made with whole grain toast topped with my very own homemade sauce (made with ground turkey) and topped with grated mozzarella. I also have a beef stoup (it's a cross between a soup and a stew) bubbling on the stove for dinner. Jojo and I deserve something homey and hearty tonight.

What is the perfect thing to do on a cold, dark and rainy day ... for me, it's reading a good book while lounging on the couch, snuggled under a fleece throw, a cup of hot cocoa and the tv remote by your side! I have two great books just begging to be read too (Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible and Ann Patchett's Bel Canto).

Lately I've been into some "crafts stuff" too. Cross-stitching and scrapbooking ... today I had time to work on my recipes scrapbook.

And I got to read my emails, update my blog and check out my favorite sites too. Aaah! We should all have days like this once in a while =)

Monday, October 05, 2009

Two of my oldest (as in long time and not age-wise) and dearest friends, Leslie and Jocelyn, are here for a visit. They arrived late Friday night and the next day we drove down to spend the weekend in San Diego. Here are some highlights of our two-day stay.

Here we are Jojo, me, Les, and Joce checking into the Residence Inn Marriott. This is one of my favorite chain hotels to stay in since the service is always good, the place nice and clean, the rates are reasonable and they have several convenient locations.

Here is our suite. When you walk in there is a living room (that can also serve as sleeping space since there is a pull-out couch).

There was a little kitchenette and a dining area. Of course since this was technically a vacation - we did not do any cooking or any dishes! But having a working kitchen was a nice option.

The suite also came with two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

We lunched at nearby Santorini Grill which I had read served very good Greek food. Although the restaurant was small, the food was really good. I got the gyros plate which came with the meat, a salad with lots of feta cheese, rice, pita slices and tzatsiki sauce for dipping!

After lunch we dropped Joce and Les at Legoland (someone recommended that they visit the theme park). Since Jojo and I just went to Legoland with my family, we decided to pass and instead met up with Jojo's high school classmate (Toots) who is based in Temecula (about an hour from San Diego). After coffee with Toots, we went back to pick up Les and Joce.

We headed to the Gaslamp District and decided to have dinner at the Gaslamp Strip Club. (FYI - it's a steak place and not an actual strip club!). There was an hour-long wait for a table so we browsed a couple of the shops before dinner.

Gaslamp Strip Club is a concept restaurant where you have to grill your own dinner. We ordered a rib-eye and new york strip which arrived raw. The dinner also comes with a huge bowl of salad and a basket of garlic bread (which you could also toast on the grill).

Les and I working the grill. Turns out grilling your own steak is not as easy as one would think. We had to go back several times to grill our beef because every time we cut it it was still quite bloody!

Here we are after dinner - everyone is feeling pretty full and happy.

The next day after breakfast we headed to Old Town San Diego to board the Trolley Tours which took us around the city as well as nearby Coronado Island.

Waiting for our tour to begin. The tour takes about 2 hours but you have the option to hop on and off the trolley in several of the designated stops. We hopped off once at the Horton Shopping Complex to have lunch. Other than that we pretty much stayed on board the whole time.

Here we are after the trolley tour and just about to head back home to Torrance.

Friday, October 02, 2009

As of this post, the Philippines is bracing for another typhoon to hit the Northern part of Luzon. Typhoon Pepeng is classified as a supertyphoon and is said to be even stronger then the recent Typhoon Ondoy that has already caused so much loss and destruction.

Even if I am hundreds of miles away, the Philippines will always be my home. Let us join all the Filipinos at home and abroad in prayer for Supertyphoon Pepeng to be diverted or to weaken before hitting the Philippines.

“Oratio Imperata for Deliverance From Calamities”Almighty Father, we raise our hearts to You in gratitude for the wonders of creation of which we are part, for Your providence in sustaining us in our needs, and for Your wisdom that guides the course of the universe.We acknowledge our sins against You and the rest of creation.We have not been good stewards of Nature.We have confused Your command to subdue the earth.The environment is made to suffer our wrongdoing, and now we reap the harvest of our abuse and indifference.Global warming is upon us. Typhoons, floods, volcanic eruption, and other natural calamities occur in increasing number and intensity.We turn to You, our loving Father, and beg forgiveness for our sins.We ask that we, our loved ones and our hard earned possessions be spared from the threat of calamities, natural and man-made.We beseech You to inspire us all to grow into responsible stewards of Your creation, and generous neighbors to those in need.Amen.

I truly believe in the power of prayer and I know that God will hear us if we all pray together.